I finished my fingerless mittens!

I call them ‘Elemental Mitts’ (aka Ele-Mitts). (A woman from my knitting group came up with that and said I could use it! )

They are mine, all mine and I love them! My first completed project using my own handspun!

I still have some yarn left to make something matchy-matchy so stay tuned for that. I’m still deciding what to make.

ttfn!

I been a bit under the weather for the past two and half weeks and either didn’t feel like or couldn’t knit so progress on the mittens have been a bit slow…having only been able to start knitting again on January 14th… but I finally finished the outer shell of one mitten (minus the thumb) and finally started the 2nd one. The gauge on the first one is a bit wonky because I couldn’t figure out a comfortable way to hold the yarn. Then I got a knitting thimble for Christmas and that issue was solved. Now I comfortablely hold both yarns in my left hand and my gauge is consistent. I’m truly enjoying knitting these mittens.

Keep on knittin’!

I made a few more ornaments and I thought you might like to see them.

Lucy Neatby Celestial Merino Dream Mottled Solids in the Skye colorway. I made two of these. (One is mine!)

The above colorway with Jawoll Superwash Sport in Navy. This one is MINE too!

Jawoll Superwash Sport in Red. Not mine!

Lorna’s Laces Shepard Sock – Flamingo Stripe. Made for someone who loves pink.

I know someone who is a Patriots fan and I used my new-found fair isle skills to make this one for her: (All yarn used is Jawoll Superwash Sport)

And here is my progress on the Fiddlehead Mittens: (Am using Cascade 220 for the outer mittens)

Best Wishes to you for the Holiday and the New Year!

Yes! I have found my knitting mojo and have been knitting up a storm. I need to finish a pair of fingerless mittens before the end of September. I have been trying to knit a pair of these for several months, but have not been satisfied with the results.

For the first pair, I used worsted weight and that just wasn’t right, especially since these are for someone who lives in moderate climate all year long.

I’m currently on my 3rd attempt. I bought some Dream In Color Smooshy (drool) then went in search of a pattern. I bought one online that visually, I liked. I quickly discovered that the pattern was not for me. But if I hadn’t bought that pattern, it wouldn’t have led me to reworking another pattern. The thing is, the pattern that I like is for worsted weight yarn.

I did a gauge swatch. I counted my gauge several times, but I’m never sure if I’m counting correctly. Nonetheless, I figured out a stitch count but ended up reducing it by 4 stitches to make it fit the stitch pattern I came up with and I knit a prototype. I made notes as I went along and learned a lot and along the way, figured out what I want to do to make it better. Literally flying by the seat of my pant, as it were.

The biggest issue is that since I took away those 4 stitches, the mitten has no ease and I’m trying to figure out how to get more ease.

Bigger needles? Didn’t like the fabric.
I could go down a needle size and add a pattern repeat, but that would mess up the pattern I created, which works best with an even number of pattern repeats.

Add one stitch per pattern repeat? Well, I think the question is where. The pattern is within a 8 x 2 rib. I tried it as a 8 x 3 rib and got an instant lesson in ribbing. (I then read an article on ‘let me explainknit’ explained why it was less stretchy). One thought I had would be to add a stitch somewhere to make it a 9 x 2 rib (I’m using 4-stitch cables so maybe I can put a knit stitch in between the cables and that might work – but I have to decide if I want to add 6 stitches or 3.) Any other suggestions? Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Reworking a pattern is SO much fun! But seriously, I’m so close to figuring this out and the results will be SO cool!

If you’ve made it this far and read my babble, I thank you!

see ya next time!!!

Remember these?

I made ‘em in Feb 07. The first thing I kinda made up myself. They’re very basic. The one thing I would change is that I would go down a needle size for the ribbing. I didn’t know about that then and I think that would make a difference in how they fit.

Any I wore them the other day (on a day that I ironically forget my regular gloves) and I love them. And I’m talking fingerless mitts in general. I mean they were fun to make, but I’d never really worn them ’cause they are green. I don’t like green. I don’t wear green. But it was very cold. So now I have to make some that I will really love. I’m thinking… um, blue.

I finished another Odessa and am currently choosing my next project …. methinks fingerless mitts.